Jose Mourinho is feeling the heat at Benfica with pressure already mounting on his position.
Ruben Amorim’s dismissal at Manchester United means the Portuguese boss is looking over his shoulder after defeat against Braga on Wednesday.
After they were knocked out of one of Portugal’s domestic cups following a 3-1 loss, Mourinho was reportedly furious with his side’s performance.
He made his players sleep at the training complex to send a message before putting on extra training sessions.
In his post-match press conference, he took aim at his players by saying: “I hope the players sleep as well as I do, which is to say that they don’t sleep at all.
“That’s what I wish for them. That they don’t sleep and instead think a lot, like I’m going to.”
Jose Mourinho under pressure at Benfica
Benfica already sit 10 points behind Porto in the title race, and it will take a monumental effort for them to leapfrog their fierce rivals into top spot.
The two clubs meet in the quarter-finals of the Portuguese Cup on Wednesday, with Mourinho looking to keep Benfica’s season alive.
Reports in the Portuguese paper A Bola suggest a defeat would prove ‘a disaster’ for the club, and the risk of failing to fight on any fronts.
In the Champions League, Benfica currently sit in 25th, one place adrift of the play-offs for a spot in the knockouts.
Their task is made even more difficult with a trip to Juventus to follow before hosting his former club Real Madrid.
Mourinho, who is an outsider in the next Manchester United manager betting, was only appointed Benfica boss in September and has won 14 of his 23 games in charge.
While he remains undefeated in the league, expectations at the club are extremely high, and they continue the hunt for their first league title since the 2022/23 campaign.
They did win the Portuguese League Cup last season, and their previous completely trophyless campaign came in 2021/22.
Ruben Amorim waits in the wings
Amorim’s recent availability has alerted the attention of Benfica chiefs, who could consider his newfound freedom.
The 40-year-old is highly regarded at the club, having spent nine years as a player at Benfica and winning three league titles.
Before his disastrous Manchester United spell, he won five pieces of silverware as a manager in Portugal with both Braga and Sporting Lisbon.
Given Mourinho’s previous history, he can engineer a departure at any point in the campaign, but the added possibility of failing to win any silverware this season may accelerate his long-term doubts.
Reports suggest Amorim will be happy to bide his time and recharge his batteries before taking on another job.
However, the lure of returning to Benfica will undoubtedly be at the back of his mind.
